1404. _Qui la?_ who's there. All the MSS. agree in thus cutting down the
expression _qui est la_ to two words; and this abbreviation is emphasised
by the English gloss 'Who ther' in E. and Hn.; Cm. has _Who there_, without
any French. It is clear, too, that the line is imperfect at the caesura,
thus:--
_Qui la_? | quod he. | --Pe | ter it | am I ||
This medial pause is probably intentional, to mark the difference between
the speakers. Ed. 1532 (which Tyrwhitt follows) has _Qui est la_, in order
to fill out the line. Wright has the same; and (as usual) suppresses the
fact that the word _est_ is not in the MS. which he follows 'with literal
accuracy.' [172]
_Peter!_ by Saint Peter! a too common exclamation, shewing that even women
used to swear. It occurs again in D. 446, 1332, and Hous of Fame, 1034,
2000.
1412. _elenge_, pronounced (eeléngg[*e]), in a dreary, tedious, lonely
manner; drearily. From A. S. _[=æ]lenge_, lengthy, protracted; a derivative
from _lang_, long; see P. Plowman, C. i. 204, and the note. In Pegge's
Kenticisms (E. D. S. Gloss. C. 3), we have: '_Ellinge_ [_pronounced_
éllinj], _adj._ solitary, lonely, melancholy, farre from neighbours. See
Ray.' It is also still in use in Sussex. The usual derivation from A. S.
_ellende_, foreign, is incorrect; but it seems to have been confused with
this word, whence the sense of 'strange, foreign,' was imported into it.
See _Alange_ in the New E. Dictionary.
1413. _go we dyne_, let us go and dine; as in P. Plowman, C. i. 227.
1417. _Seint Yve._ 'St. Ivia, or Ivo,' says Alban Butler, 'was a Persian
bishop, who preached in England in the seventh century.' He died at St.
Ive's in Huntingdonshire. A church was also built in his honour at St.
Ive's in Cornwall. His day is April 25. This line is repeated in D. 1943.
Cf. A. 4264.
1421. _dryve forth_, spend our time in; cf. P. Plowman, C. i. 225.
1423. _pleye_, 'take some relaxation by going on a pilgrimage'; clearly
shewing the chief object of pilgrimages. Cf. D. 557. The line also
indicates that it was a practice, when men could no longer make a show in
the world, to go on a pilgrimage, or 'go out of the way' somewhere, to
avoid creditors.
1436. _houshold._ So in E. Hn. Cm.; Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. T. have _housbonde_,
_housbond_, but the application of this word to a housewife is not happy.
1441. _messe_, mass; it seems to have been said, on this occasion, about
9.30 A.M. It did not take long; cf. l. 1413.
1445. _At-after_, soon after. This curious form is still in use; see the
Cleveland Glossary. So in the Whitby Glossary:--'All things in order;
ploughing first, sowing _at-after_.' Cf. _'at-after_ supper,' Rich. III.
iv. 3. 31; and see _At_, § 40, in the New E. Dict. We find also _at-under_
and _at-before_. It occurs again in F. 1219.
1466. _a myle-wey_, even by twenty minutes (the time taken to walk a mile).
1470. _Graunt mercy of_, many thanks for.